St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-01

their household exactly as though their
guests had never been outside the Father
land. They prepared the usual Christmas
festival for their little nieces, and the
Americans were interested spectators of the
childish glee with which even the old folks
entered into the spirit of that occasion.
And now the Frauleins Vornel were deter
mined to give the Yankees a genuine Ger
man New Years eve. Christmas is the
childrens day, and throughout Germany
little hearts are full of jOy-but equally so
the glad New Year is welcomed by the
grown folk, and in the same degree, also, is
i. a family festival.
The frauleins had invited few friends
to meet their American guests on the New
Years eve, and at s o'clock the ladies and
gentlemen had all arrived. Most of the
Americans spoke English only, and the con-
verSatIOn was not uninterrupted for this
reason-the Interpreters were kept busy and
the eyes of the pretty German girls did eff
fectiye service, materially assisting their
badly broken English: but music was Ian
guage dear to all the happy company and
its notes were easily comprehended
by all alike; so the happy hours
passed quickly, the Americans singing
their national songs in their own tongue,
and the Germans. with equal pleasure, CIV
of their very lives. The piano resounded
meath the masterful touch of German
fingers, or gave faint echo of the weird
music that all Germans love. Strange, this
national love OF music. it pervades all
classes of German society, and all alike
seem TO comprehend its beauties. The
deniZenS Of the highest gallery in the great
opera house at Frankfort are as intelligent
and discriminating in their applause as the
wealthy people in the prOSceuum boxes. ,
The peasant whistles Wagner, the great
throng called the masses sits contentedly in
the music hall of the beautiful palm garden
and seems fairly to absorb the music of the
grand Orchestra-music of the highest Or
der. such as only cultivated audiences"
III America can appreciate.
And at this little gathering the manner
of receiving the music given was as differ
ent as the modes of life of the two peoples.
The German listened in quiet enjoyment.
and at the close uttered hearty bravo"
The restless American was patient per
force, and marveled at his foreign friends
pleasure, which he vainIy endeavored to
initiate.
AS the eleventh hour passed and the
years life shortened into minutes converse
ton died, aud during the last quarter of an
hour the frauleins, with their German
friends, united in singing the old year
hymn. During the two hours previous the
streets had been quiet and as deserted as
though they were country lanes. With the
last stroke of ~ from the clock on the man
tel piece every bell in the city rung out to
the glad night the welcome tidlngS Of the
new years birth, and at the same time all.
over the city, above the music of the bells
arose roar that at first could not be un.
I'm win al
| though the noise increased. no person was
seen i'll the Streets--they were as empty as
, though men had never walked there. The
strange uproar had seemed to call every
other household to its windows, and the
wondering Americans looked forth, their
| faces picture of perpleXity very amusing
to their German friends: perpleXity which
cleared away as the great sound gradually
broke and its words could be heard
And then they understood it, for from
| every window in Frankfort that
night a happy people poured out a
glad cry to answering echoes. ''Prost Neaw
YaarH'-'happy New Year!" The greet
ing was shouted from neighbor to neighbor.
it arose above the clamOr of the bells and
encirced the great towers Of Frankfort
churches; from every heart arose the cheer
full sound of peoples kindly feeling for
their fellows, and.gradually, as the sounds at
hand died away and the distant streets
ceased the refrain, the people turned from
their window seats and expressed to each
other what they had called forth to the
night.
Cake and wine was brought forth and
the health of each individual was drank in
turn, and. with responses and lively sallies
welcomed the New Year. The great Amer
lea was toasted, the health of the fatherland
was drunk, and with laughter and song the
merry party separated, the Germans happy
in the consciousness of having properly
ushered in the year. the Americans with
wonder that whole people should, with a
common impulse, be filed with such uni
versal kindness.